PFF names top 10 returning college football edge rushers in 2022

Pro Football Focus (PFF) named the top 10 edge rushers that are set to return to college football next season. Here’s how they ranked them:

1. Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

Anderson was one of the most dominant edge rushers in the nation last season. He ranked No. 1 in the country in sacks with 17.5 and amassed 57 solo tackles (101 total) along with three pass deflections. His 81 quarterback pressures also ranked tops in the nation as well.

The former five-star recruit earned a PFF grade of 79.1 as a true freshman (2020) and 89.8 as a sophomore (2021), which is a large jump, especially playing for a team like Alabama.

2. Nolan Smith, Georgia

After spending his first two seasons as a reserve on the ever-growing talent on the defensive side of the ball for Georgia, Smith shined in his first season as a starter in Athens.

The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2019 class averaged a 90.3 run-defense grade this past season, which ranked fourth among FBS edge defenders in 2021. His pass-rushing skills need some work, grading in at 78.9. But at 6-foot-3 and 235-pounds, Smith will cause havoc in the trenches for the defending national champions next season.

3. Nick Herbig, Wisconsin

The 6-foot-2, 227-pound sophomore is undersized, but it’s his versatility that makes him dangerous for the Badgers. In 2021 Herbig played 208 pass-rush snaps and 153 coverage snaps at outside linebacker and ended 2021 with a 91.4 pass-rush grade, a 26.4% win rate and a 20.7% pressure rate for the 2021 season — all of which ranked top-five in the Power Five, according to PFF.

He finished the season with 40 solo tackles (61 total) and nine sacks last season and looks to build on that in 2022.

4. Andre Carter, Army

Carter earned a 93.3 pass-rush grade, per PFF in 2021 where he amassed 58 pressures, which resulted in 15.5 sacks which ranked second in the nation last season.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Carter earned a 25.9% pass-rush win rate. That ranked him in the top five in the country last season as well.

5. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington

The Husky had a great start to the season with eight total tackles and a sack against Arizona and Oregon before injuring his Achilles prior to week three.

He managed to pressure the quarterback nine times in 58 pass-rush snaps and earned a 72.1 grade before his season ended. He’s a wildcard, sure, but he could end up being one of the most menacing pass rushers in the country next season barring another catastrophic injury.

6. Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State

Anudike-Uzomah came to Kansas State as a three-star recruit that ranked 2,189 overall in the 2020 class. He proved that star ratings do not mean everything.

He compiled 11 sacks in 2021, which ranks top-11 in the nation. His six forced fumbles are tied for first as well and earned an 86.9 run-defense grade over his final seven games.

7. Zach Harrison, Ohio State

Since 2020, the 6-foot-6, 272-pound edge rusher has earned a 90.5 pass-rush grade and 19.4% he wins his pass-rush matchup. 

While the 2019 five-star recruit has the size and speed, he has been anything but consistent. He recorded zero pressures in two of his final four games and has produced just two or fewer pressures in 11 of his 19 career games with the Buckeyes.

8. Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame

Foskey had one of the biggest jumps in his grade from 2020 to 2021. He went from a 63.5 PFF grade as a reserve last season to an 80.7 mark in 2021.

He’ll play some off-ball linebacker on some plays, adding to his versatility in the one-on-one and coverage game, but at 6-foot-5 and 260, he’ll best serve on the edge.

9. Myles Murphy, Clemson

Murphy was the No. 11 overall recruit in the 2020 class and is beginning to live up to the hype.

At 6-foot-5 and weighing 275, his PFF run-defense grade ranks No. 1 among Power Five edge defenders, barely edging out Aidan Hutchinson and Will Anderson Jr. for the top spot.

10. Xavier Thomas, Clemson

Another Clemson product, Thomas was in and out of the lineup in 2020 thanks to COVID-19. The No. 4 overall recruit in the 2018 class went from an 83.4 PFF grade as a freshman to a 69.8 mark the year after.

He only managed 12 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 10 games played last season. He’ll look to get back to the level he played at as a freshman heading into his final season.